


A Fusion of Meat and Metal

by makuta_tobi



Category: Metroid Series
Genre: Canon Compliant, Gen, Other, Post-Metroid Fusion
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-08-16 22:26:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16503923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makuta_tobi/pseuds/makuta_tobi
Summary: As Samus is called into the Galactic Federation to justify her actions on the Biologic Space Laboratories, an old foe sparks a need for a field test of Samus' new capabilities





	1. Total Fusion

I hate when other people work on my suit. It's not just a habit I've formed. I know the inner workings of my Power Suit more than anyone alive today; fine tuning it is something I've perfected over the years, I know every inch of this suit better than even the last Chozo that handled it, I bet. But now, it's like a whole different machine.

I reach out to touch the orange, flesh like material stretched over the suit, and it feels warm. It seems to almost leap off the armour and conform to my touch, like an animal attracted to the heat of my skin. The composite underneath is so similar to the suit I used to wear, but it has changed, evolved in a way that I can't quite describe. The suit stands rigid in its cradle at the back of my gunship, but staring at it makes it appear to breathe, and I can't tell if it's the gentle ululations of the ship's drive core, or the stress wearing down on me. It had only been a few hours sine I escaped the BSL, and the adrenaline that had coursed through my body, as well as the chemicals pumped into my body through my suit, were finally wearing off, and the adventure that had lasted only a few days was finally coming to an end.

I looked over to the alien creatures sleeping nearby, and felt a surge in my gut. A hunger, unlike anything I had ever felt before. Ever since arriving on the BSL, I had felt a strange hunger, and every time I consumed an X Parasite through my suit, the hunger was quelled momentarily, before coming back even stronger than before. And now, I felt insatiable. It wasn't the hunger you have when you're in the field with no rations, or when you're alone on a planet as a child with nowhere to go, no, this hunger was powerful, and all encompassing, it was a driving force, but not for need of sustenance. I couldn't explain it to myself, let alone to anyone else.

I pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on my arm cannon, lifting it and hitting a switch on the inside, which opened up a diagnostics panel. Once on my ship, the weapons were disabled, and red lines crossed out each icon. I could see the various beam details, the missile information, everything seemed okay. There were no issues I had to focus on there, though I now had to figure out how to remove the Ice and Burst missile properties from my weapons systems. The data had been downloaded into a central computer, but it would be buried, and with my own DNA having overwritten the deadly susceptibility to cold the Metroid vaccine had granted me, I no longer needed to rely on heavy weapons in favour of the Ice Beam.

Scrolling through pages of data on the small screen near my feet, I tried to find what I needed, when I heard a ping from nearby. I looked up and saw the purple camera, like an unblinking eye, had lit up and was focusing on me.

“I just got some new information from Federation Command,” Adam said in his drone computer voice. It made my stomach turn, to know he was just some AI now, a great man now confined to a machine, with memories that were touched, thoughts he was fed, he was just a part of the ship now, and not even a real person. Not the man I knew. Not anymore.

“What do they want now?” I asked, turning my attention back to my screen.

“They want answers. More than that, they want details that I'm not at liberty to discuss. A lot happened on the station. Samus, they're court-martialling you.”

My heart dropped at those words. Court-martial, a trial for military damage, war crimes even. If they considered anything I had done on that station to be this serious, despite their own wrong-doings, things could end badly.

“They can't do that, I was well within my parameters of doing the job,” I began, balling my fists and standing to my full height. The camera continued to eye me, and I could see the lens focus behind the glass.

“It appears they disagree,” Adam spoke as softly as his mechanized vocoder could, “because this is a serious matter. They have placed an order onto this ship, we are not to make any stops, and will dock with the nearest Federation base ASAP. This is bad, Samus. They could terminate your partnership with the government, or revoke your Hunter license. If worst comes to worst, they could even take your suit.”

“What?!” I shouted, and the Etecoons and Dachoras raised their heads in alarm at my raised voice, “They can't do that! It's considered Chozo tech, which means that they have no jurisdiction, it's ancient and it can't be taken away from me! Those are the rules!”

“I wish it were that simple, but it appears they applied a loophole. Once the suit was infected, and the experimental surgery began, enough of the suit had been replaced, adjusted, or otherwise tampered with to allow it to fall under a new category; joint technology operations. Essentially, they own half of the design now, if not more, and can enforce that at any time.”

I had to unclench my jaw, I could feel it locking up. I wouldn't let anyone get a hold of this suit. I was as much a part of it as it was of me, and in the wrong hands, it could end up being extremely dangerous. No, there was no way I was going to let that happen, not without a fight, not without the Federation prying it from my cold, dead hands.

The room felt hot, suddenly. Like a rage that I couldn't squash down had enveloped me. It wasn't until Adam said something that I realized what had happened.

“Why did you call your suit?” he asked. I turned my head back to the computer console and raised an eyebrow quizzically. I hadn't called my suit. But I looked down at my hands and saw one was wrapped in the orange claws and the other in the dark green of my Power Suit, and I was struck with a realization.

My Zero Suit was an extension of my Power Suit, an inner skin meant to be worn by the user that would allow the armour to be called to them in a specific radius, the armour could teleport and then form around the user. But it was a mental call, and one that took training to perform. Even now, my mind needed to be clear, needed to be set only on the Suit in order to call it to me. I hadn't thought about anything but protecting what was mine, and here I was, wrapped in armour that pulsed with every breath I took.

With shaky hands, I reached up and touched a small plate on my upper chest. There was a hissing sound, and the organic membrane seemed to shift to allow the panels to open, and I was able to step out of the armour. The moment my feet left the foot pads, it closed back up, like a zipper on an old jacket. Hesitantly, I turned around, but before I could react, I realized my mistake.

Something stabbed into me, into my body, my soul, my very being. I felt like hot magma was flowing down my spine, filling my body, and the pain was intense, but it wasn't just pain, it was fulfillment. It was only for a brief moment, but the never ending hunger subsided, and I felt more like myself than I had in days. And suddenly it was over. I turned back to where my armour had stood behind me, but it was nowhere to be seen. I looked down at my hands, but they were my own. And once again, Adam's voice sounded worried.

“I suppose we'll have to chalk this up to an unexpected side effect.”

“What was that? What side effect?” I couldn't hide the tremble in my voice, or stop the shaking of my hands. Something felt different, off. It wasn't wrong, just uncomfortable. And I couldn't figure out what it was.

“It appears the suit has bonded to you. Physically, in a way that your old suit never was. Perhaps it is a side effect of the baby Metroid imprinting on you. Not just as a mother, but down to its very DNA. The suit is, after all, half Metroid. Perhaps...” Adam paused for several long seconds, and I urged him along with a hand gesture.

“Sorry, I was running a diagnostic. The sensors on the ship are crude, but I still ran a scan. Right now, I am detecting two distinct life signs n the exact spot where you're standing. The suit has bonded to you physically, and it is, in fact, alive. Somehow.”

I didn't need to hear anymore. It was a ridiculous statement, but it explained a lot. My entire body had been effected by the Metroid DNA, why not my suit? I was no longer human, and my suit was no longer a techno-organic piece of Chozo engineering. We were Metroids, in our own right, the last of their kind, and this would change the playing field much more than any argument I could have made to the Galactic Federation.

“Alright Adam,” I said, approaching the helm of my ship, “We're setting course for the nearest Federation base. Calculate the approach, and let's show them just how important my actions were.”

“You got it, Lady,” Adam said. I felt the drives kick up, and the endless expanse of space whisked past. I was ready for a war.


	2. Trial of the Millenia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Samus arrives for her forced date, but it doesn't go as anyone planned

Docking with the nearest Federation ship wasn't as easy as I hoped it would be. First and foremost, the nearest ship was less a ship, and more a sprawling city, a central beacon of civilization in an otherwise empty arm of the galaxy. This meant that getting landing clearance was time-consuming, as all the proper channels had to be addressed and approved. Bureaucracy moves like molasses, even out here. But even this was slower than I anticipated. It took me several moments to realize exactly why.

A large Federation ship was docked near the aft of the station, flanked by a smaller battle cruiser. A military vessel, and a ship as fancy as that one could only mean that I was going to be dealing with big names; of course, there's no way they would have sent anything else to deal with a problem they deemed heavy enough to order a civilian to court martial. Two fighters buzzed my ship and flew in the direction of the cruiser.

_No doubt making sure I'm not trying to cause any trouble_ , I thought to myself. _Taking extra precautions because now they perceive me as a threat. I wonder what it was that made them change their minds._

My monitor beeped and a clearance code was displayed across the screen, with docking instructions and a message that read “ **ALL WEAPONS MUST BE SURRENDERED AT LANDING.** ” I wonder what they consider a weapon. I guided my ship towards the appropriate dock and began my landing procedure. My ship entered through a tunnel of sorts that traveled into the underbelly of the station, and I came to a large clearing. A wide pad was spread out with landing cradles positioned around the outer edge of it. None of the cradles were occupied, which meant the station was empty, or they were reserving this dock specifically for me.

As I set the automatic landing procedures to begin and my ship started its touchdown, I could see three soldiers in Federation armour standing near my cradle. An escort, how lovely. I made sure my uniform was in order and checked my pony tail for any lose strands. I then unholstered my stun pistol and waited for my ship's lift to activate. I descended from the interior of my personal vessel into the cold atmosphere of the dock, and scanned each of the soldiers in front of me.

“I'm armed,” I said, raising my hands above my head, pistol face down in one of them. It was unbecoming, but I couldn't risk starting any fights before I had done anything yet.

“Secure the weapon,” the man in back said. One of the soldiers nodded and approached me slowly while the other trained his weapon on me. I was being considered armed and dangerous. This wasn't some normal court martial, I was being scrutinized by men in uniform with guns, this was a dangerous game. I surrendered my stun pistol without issue, and the man in the back held up a portable scanner. He waited several moments until a green light on the side lit up, confirming that I was, indeed, without any further weapons, and he gestured to his two comrades to lower their weapons.

“Miss Aran, my name is Sergeant Torr, I'm here to escort you to your hearing,” the man in the back said without missing a beat. “We're sorry for the wariness, but it's just protocol.”

He was lying through his teeth, that much I knew. During my time in the Federation, there was no protocol for meeting a civilian with an armed response without just cause. I knew I had to get to the bottom of all of this. I smiled, a fake grin I had developed over all these years, and nodded in appreciation.

“I just hope we can get all of this sorted quickly,” I said. Digging information out of Torr was my first objective. “Unfortunately, I'm still not completely sure why I was called here to begin with.”

“Sorry, ma'am, but I'm not aware of that information, either. I'm just following orders. Please, this way.” We began walking towards the main lift that took us back into the station proper, away from the landing pad. If Torr was telling the truth, then he wouldn't be of much help.

“Will I at least be able to get a drink before we begin?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, due to the urgency of the situation, ma'am, the hearing is set to begin immediately.”

That threw me for a loop. The drink question had been the most sincere thing I had said since I arrived, but knowing that I was not being given any opportunity to make heads or tails of my scenario meant they were going to try and railroad me. I had to think, fast, if I wanted to learn what was going on.

The lift stopped and I was ushered out into a deserted hallway. Save for a few office doors, it was relatively empty. We walked down about two-thirds of the way when I was instructed to enter through a set of double doors. As soon as I set foot inside, the other two soldiers posted on either side of the entrance, and Torr closed it behind us.

The room had an interesting atmosphere to it. A large, wooden desk was on a raised dais, with the Federation seal behind it. Sat at the desk were five representatives in suits, four of whom were human, and one Vhozhon. Sat in front of them was a metal table and chair, which looked like it had seen some use, almost like they had been ripped from a police interrogation room. I approached the table, but did not sit. The representatives all looked at each other, before the one in the center cleared his throat, more in a show of attitude than out of necessity.

“It appears we are ready to begin,” the man in the center stated. “This committee is gathered here today to evaluate the actions of one Samus Aran, contracted bounty hunter under the Galactic Federation. She has been accused of tampering with evidence, destruction of valuable property, refusal to follow orders, and the destruction of ecosystem of a neutral planet. Do you have anything to say about these charges?”

“Yeah, that's all it a load of bull,” I said, my posture not betraying my thoughts. “I was given a mission that I completed, after total evaluation of the situation, and I believe every one of my actions was justified.”

“Whether they were justified or not is not the question,” another member spoke, “these are serious actions that could be seen as acts of terrorism against the Galactic Federation.”

“Acts of terrorism? Forgive me, but I risked my life just trying to find a way off that station, and further risked the lives of everyone in the galaxy if I hadn't done what I did.”

“That is not for you to decide,” the Vhozhon pointed out.

“It's not a matter of opinion,” I retorted, “it's a matter of fact. You should have data about my own infection by those parasites, and it should be clear that after they had escaped their home planet and had access to the intelligence and technology they needed, they would have wiped out half the life in this sector in a matter of days. Those are hard numbers that you can see.”

The committee members murmured amongst themselves before the leader turned back to me.

“That may be so, but it still does not excuse the blatant disregard for safety earlier in your mission, even before your reckless decision to cause such widespread damage, which, by the way, is not off the table.”

I felt the anger burning in the back of my skull, my hands were numb, my stomach twisted, but I tried to keep my face neutral.

“It became clear to me,” I enunciated, trying to find the right words to use, “that my safety was not a first priority for the teams in charge of the operation. As is the case on most battlefields, sometimes situations changed and I was required to make split second decisions that could have meant life or death. Obtaining weapons that had been purposefully withheld from me in order to stay alive was more than a simple bout of ignorance for the mission, but was a battlefield decision intended to keep the mission going to see it to completion.”

“Miss Aran,” a female council member leaned forward in a way that made her neck look like a bird, “as is common now, your chosen profession of Bounty Hunter has made you very well sought-after in the private sector.”

“I don't see what this has to do with my case,” I said flatly, staring at the woman in hopes she would back down.

“Is it not, then, that you would perhaps obey other masters in your quest for money or power if the opportunity presented itself to you?” My eyes narrowed, I knew exactly what she was getting at, but I wanted to hear it from her mouth. “Could you not have been working two sides of a battle for your own gain? Or working for an enemy force that was intending on causing damage to the stability of this Federation?”

“If you have a point, ma'am, I ask that you reach it,” I insisted through clenched teeth.

“I'll get right to it, then. Were you working for someone else during this operation that made you cause such widespread destruction in a short amount of time, in order to cause either damage to the Galactic Federation, or to the research that was being conducted on the station? For a group such as the Zebesians?”

I could barely control the words that flew out of my mouth at the accusation. “I have been under contract with the Federation for years, not out of a lust for money or power, but out of integrity. I believe in the Federation, but I don't believe in their practices. Just having been met with an armed guard detail upon my arrival is proof enough that I'm right. I would never betray the people that I care about most for any reason, especially not for the lowly pirates that have taken so much, from me, from this whole damn galaxy!” I saw one of the members open his mouth, but I cut him off before he could continue.

“And if we're going to be talking about betrayal, how about the galactic betrayal that was occurring on the BSL, with the mass production of banned bioweapons?”

“I beg your pardon?” the Vhozhon tried.”

“Metroids, in the hundreds, in a special wing of the facility, closed off and contained. This is not the first time the Federation has attempted to clone these things, despite the numerous reports, many of which I have personally collaborated with, that show the dangers posed. The fact that I was personally sent to eliminate the remaining Metroids on the planet, only to have the same council that called for their extermination vote on rebuilding their numbers as a use as weapons, shows just how much betrayal they have caused to the whole of the galaxy.”

I awaited a response, and was sure that I had shut them up, when the lights in the room flickered. It was only for a moment, but it shouldn't have happened to begin with. Then I felt the room shake. The station's shields would have prevented any large asteroids from hitting, there's no way this was a collision. The next shake sent the Federation seal on the back wall crashing to the ground, and one of the council members brought up a hologram that was set directly to the bridge.

“What the hell is going on up there?” she demanded.

“We're under attack!” came the frantic response. “Multiple ships have appeared from subspace and are firing on us. Fighters have knocked out external communications!”

“Give us a view of the attackers,” the woman with the hologram insisted. The view on her desk shifted from a scene of chaos on the bridge, to a shot of three large ships outside, moving to form a blockade around us. The ships were all different, but they all had a similar style, with jagged edges and curved bodies. I felt the breath catch in my throat, and I hoped I was wrong, but the sight of multiple fighter craft flying past the view told me all I needed. Fat bodies with long tails trailing behind them like tadpoles swimming through space.

Pirates.

“We need to find a way to get communications back online, now,” said Torr, who stepped forward for the first time since my hearing began, “or else we're gonna die real fast.”

“Let me go out,” I said, turning to the council, “I'm more of an asset to you than anything right now.”

There was a pause, and then the leader spoke. “Fine, but you are to stay in constant communication with us, and we will be monitoring your actions.”

“Just point me to where I need to be,” I said, unbuttoning my uniform and tossing it on the table. I pulled on my Zero Suit's gloves and made sure they were tight to my skin.

“You'll need to get to the engineering deck to check the damage first, and then we can figure out how to proceed from there,” Torr said.

From my body, the chitinous form of my armour took shape. To anyone else, it might be disgusting, or terrifying, or any number of emotions, but right now, to me, it was the most natural feeling in the world. The orange membrane grew over the suit and tightened, pulling it all together. The spikes on my left forearm grew from the suit, and I could feel the claws on my hands and feet coming into shape as well. My head was enveloped by the helmet, it wrapped around me like a cocoon, and the visor lit up from the inside. I could see everything so clearly now. And I felt that hunger. For battle, for victory, for life. And something else.

“Let's get moving then,” I said.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to leave kudos and comments, those are my biggest inspirations for writing more!


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